as it 's one of the things that it seeks in Prayer so it 's one of the things that it eyeth in Repentance It 's much affected with the want of it confesses it to Him and aggredges the Sin thereof against it self from this ground that it loves nor Christ as it should I know not if there be much of this among us many will be sorry if they fall in drunkenness or in any other gross Sin but O! how few repent of their want of Love to Christ and that He gets not His own room in the heart 3. Where this Love is it is ever Suâ—picious and Jealous lest the heart cliver anâ— cleave to some other thing and give it room to the prâ—judice of Christ It 's a sad thing when folks let their affections go our at random and are not afraid lest they out-shoot themselves in loving the World their Pleasures their Credit c. But rather they are like the whore in the Proverbs who sayes come and let us take our fill of loves Love to Christ hath a Weanedness from these things and a Jealousy least they usurp a room in the heart that is not due to them Because as John sayes There is not a consistency betwixt the love of God and the love of the world in the heart and therefore it 's the watchfull care of a poor Bâ—liever to keep out inordinat love of the World and of these things that the heart is given to go a whoreing after Hâ—nce David prayes Psal 1â—9 Incline my heart to thy law and not to covetousness and Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity There is in too many a sort of râ—oted confidence that they love Christ and they nâ—ver suspect themselves of the contâ—are when yet some other thing hath his room 2dly There is ground here to exhort you to believe on Him as the Prince of Life and a Saviour that is well fitted and qualified to give Repentance and Remission of Sins And this is the very native Use that flows from this Doctrine even to lay a solid ground of Faith to a Soul lying under the sense of Sin to step forward to Godâ— Bar with confidence Considering Jesus Christ Crucified and put to Soul-travel for Elect Sinners who should betake themselves to Him Which if it had not been there had not been any ground for Faith And the lower He came in His Sufferings we have the more native and broad ground of Faith and the stronger motive to draw us to take hold of Him and to found and fix our Faith on His Satisfaction To clear this Branch of the Use a little 1. Consider here a ground for Faith in a fourfold respect And 2. The force of the motives that arise from these grounds pressing a sensible Sinner to exercise Faith on them or on Him by them And 3. The necessity that we are under so to do For the First 1. In general There is ground here to bring the heart to be through in the Historicall Faith of what is spoken concerning the Truths of the Covenant For doth not this Soul-travel of Our Lord say That Men are lying Naturally in a sinfull Condition and obnoxious to Wrath That there is a Covenant past betwixt the Father and the Son for delivering of Elect Sinners out of that Condition and that by the Sufferings of the Mediator And that by our betaking of our selves to Him we may be fred from Sin and Wrath Otherwayes why did the Mediator come thus low except it had been true that man was under a Debt that he could not pâ—y And why â—id the Father send His Son except He had been really minded that He should offer Himself up a propitiatory Sacrifice to God for Mans Sin And His accepting of the Satisfaction tells plainly that He was content that the Cautioners Payment should stand for the Principal Debtors All this supposeth a Covenant which is as real as if we had seen and had been Ear-witnesses of the reading over of the Covenant in all the Articles of it we wish that many were come this length as to be confirmed in the Historicall Faith of the General Truths of the Gospel summed up in Christs Sufferingâ— And there cannot be any serious Râ—ading or Hearing of Christs Sufferings but theâ—e must also be some considering of their Riâ—e and End if it be otherwise we do but superficially run over them 2. As this shews the Lords Seriousness in pressing the offer of Redemption on Sinners so it calleth you to be Serious in accepting of it According to that in John 12. When I am lifted up I will draw all men after mâ— Where Christs lifting up is made an Attractive to draw lost Sinners after Him And can their be a greater ground of Faith or a stronger motive to perswade a Sinner to be reconciled to God and to rest upon Christs Satisfaction in order to that then this That Jesus Christ hath purposly laid down His Life and undergone Suffering even to such an extremity to bring it about 3. When we say that Christ's Soul-travel calls for Faith It requires this and gives ground for it That they that betake themselves to Christ for Justification before God may confidently commit themselves to His guiding in all other things For will He not be tender of them in these when out of respect to them when there was not a Covenant betwixt Him and them though they were mentioned in the Covenant of Redemption He laid down His Life and Suffered such things for them May we not from this Reason as the Apostle doeth Rom. 8. He that spared not his own son but gave him to the death for us how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Can there be a greater ground for Sinners that fear to give Him credit to trust Him with all things that concern them then this That He suffered so much for them 4. Having betaken our selves 〈◊〉 Him it serves to confirm our Faith and to bring us to the quieting of our selves in resting on Him and acquiescing in Him For what more could we require for ouâ— settlement and quieting then this That Hâ— hath come so low and condescended so faâ—â— for the behove of poor Sinners Therefore in all these respects let me exhort you and in His Name Who was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Obtest you not to keep at distance from Him but take with your Sin by Faith to fl e unto Him and to the efficacy of His Blood O! Yeeld your selves by Faith to Him for use making of Him for your Juâ—tification And a little more particularly let me here speak a word to two soâ—ts of Persons 1. To them that are yet strangers to God 2. To them that are looking towards Christ And 1. For you that are strangers to God whose hearts were never yet â—ffected with the Conviction of the necessity of believing who can lye down and rise up without
this cursed thing Sin For which though he graciously for the sake of these sufferings of Christ pardon the guilt of it to his people and hear their Prayers yet will needs take vengeance on their inventions Psal 99.8 be they never so seriously holy and eminently serviceable to him and to their generation according to his will whereof Moses the Man of God is a most memorable instance That Ancient conceived rightly of the nature of sin who said That if he behoved necessarily either to commit the least sin or go to Hell to be tormented there eternally he would rather wish to desire to go to Hell if he could be there without sin Secondly Concerning the severity of Divine Justice in punishing sin whereof its punishment in the Person of the Son of God at such a rate is one of the greatest clearest and most convincing evidences imaginable to whom he would not abate one farthing of the Elects debt but did with holy and spotless severity exact the whole of it And though he was the Fathers Fellow yet he would needs have him smitten with the awakened Sword of sin-revenging Justice and Wrath Zech. 13.7 As if all the executions that had heed done in the earth on men for sin as on the old World of the ungodly drowned by the Deludge On the miscreant Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and of these other Cities upon whom he showered down liquid flames of fire and brimstone even somewhat of Hell in a manner out of Heaven Coelum pluebat Gehennam burning them quick and frying them to death in their own skins On Core Dathan and Abiram and their associats upon whom the earth opened and swallowed them up in a most stupendious manner alive the rest being consumed by fire sent down from Heaven On the one hundred eighty five thousand men of Senacheribs Army all slain in one night by an Angel And on the Israelites who by many and various plagues were wasted and worn out to the number of six hundred thousand fighting men in the short space of fourty years Reflections on which made Moses a witness of all with astonishment to cry out Psal 90.11 Who knows the power of thy anger As if I say all these terrible executions of Justice had been done by a Sword asleep or in the Scabbard in comparison of the execution it did on Jesus Christ the Elects Cautioner against whom it awakened was unsheathed forbished and made to glitter So that we may say had all the Sons and Daughters of Adam without the exception of so much as one been eternally destroyed it would not have been a greater demonstration of the severity of the Justice of God in punishing sin Thirdly Concerning the greatness incomprehensible vastness and unparalellableness of the love of God to the Elect World which he so loved O wonderful so Eternity will but be sufficient to unfold all that is infolded in that mysterious so an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath not an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ita that hath not a sicut a so that hath not an as That he gave his only begotten Son to suffer all these things Joh. 3.16 and to be thus dealt with for them And of the Mediator who was content Phil. 2.6 7 8. Isa 53.3 5 though thinking it no robbery to be equal with God to empty himself and be of no reputation to take on him the shape of a servant to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with griâ—f to be chastized smitten wounded and bruised for their iniquities To step off the throne of his declarative Glory oâ— of his Glory manifested to the Creatures and in a manner to creep on the Foot-stool thereof in the capacity of a Worm and to become obedient even unto the death the shameful and cursed death of the Cross This is indeed matchless and marvellous love Joh. 15.13 Greater then which no man hâ—th to lay down his life for his friends But he being God-man laid down his life for his enemies that he might make them friends Rom. 5.10 Eph. 39 10 O! the hight and depth the breadâ—h and length of the love of Christ whereof when all that can be said is said this must needs be said that it 's a love that passeth not only expression but knowledge its dimensions being altogether unmeasurable So that we may say if it had seemed good to the Lord and been compatible with his spotless Justice and with his infinite Wisdome as Supream Rector and Governour of the World giving a Law to his Creatures to have pardoned the sins of the Elect in the absoluteneâ—s of his dominion that knows no boundary but what the other Divine attributes set to it without any intervenient satisfaction to his Justice at all which needs not to be debated here especially since God hath determined and in the Scriptures of truth made publication of his determination that he will not pardon sin without a satisfaction and particularly without this satisfaction made by Jesus Christ It would not have been a greater and more glorious demonstration of the freeness and riches of his love then he hath given in pardoning them through the intervention of so difficult and toilsome of so chargeable and costly a satisfaction as is the sad sufferings and the sore soul-travel of his own dear Son Who yet is pleased to account sinners coming to him and getting good of him satisfaction for all that soul-travel And indeed which of these is the greatest wonder and demonstration of his love whether that he should have undergone such soul-travel for sinners or that he should account their getting good of it satisfaction to him for the same is not easie to determine but sure both in conjunction together make a wonder passing great even a most wonderful demonstration of love Fourthly Concerning what dreadful measure all they may look for who have heard of these sufferings of Christ and make not conscience in his own way to improve them for their being reconciled to God thereby and whose bond to Justice will be found still standing over their heads uncancelled in their own name as proper debters without a Cautioner When the innocent Son of God who had never done wrong Isa 53.9 and in whose mouth no guile was ever found having but become Surety for the Elects debt was thus hotly pursued and hardly handled and put through sad soul-trouble to cry What shâ—ll I say Joh. 12.27 And falling a-groof on the ground with the tear in his eye in much sorrow and heaviness even to death and in a great agony causing a sweat of blood though in a cold night and lying on the earth conditionally to pray for the passing of that Cup from him and for his being saved from that hour So formidable was it to his holy Humane Nature which had a sinless aversation from and an innocent horrour at what threatned ruine and destruction to it self simply considered And which
had it not been mightily supported by the power of the God-head united thereto in his person would have quite shrunk and succumbed under such an heavy burden and been utterly swallowed up by such a Gulf of Wrath What then will sinners even all the dyvour debtors not having seriously sought after nor being effectually reached by the benefite of his suretyship do when they come to grapple with this wrath of God when he will fall upon them as a giant breaking all their bones and as a roaring lion Psal 50.22 Ezek. 22.14 Isa 33.14 Rev. 6.16 17. tearing them to pieces when there will be none to deliver will their hands be strong or their hearts able to endure in the day that he shall deal with them then O! then they will be afraid and fearfulness will take hold of them and make them say who can stand before the devouring fire and who can dwell beside the everlasting burnings and to cry unto the hills and mountains to fall on them and to hide them from the face of the Lamb and of him that fits on the throne for the day of his fierce wrath is come and who is able to stand then it will be found in a special manner to be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 All such man see in the great sufferings of Christ as in the clearest glass what they are to look for and most certainly to meet with for if it was thus done in the green tree Luk. 23.31 what shall be done in the dry O! it 's a sad even one of the saddest subjects of thoughts to think that a rational creature shall be eternally supported preserved and perpetuated in its beeing by the one hand of God's Omnipotency that it may be everlastingly capable of terrible vengeance to be inflicted by the other hand of his Justice Fifthly Concerning the very great obligation that lyeth on Believers to love Jesus Christ who hath thus commended his love to them by undergoing all these sad sufferings for their sakes even out of love to them to become a Curse to bleed out his precious life and to pour out his soul to death for them which to do he was under no necessity nor in the least obliged by them being infinitly removed from all possibility of being reached by any obligation from his creatures whom be loved and for whom he designed this grand expression of his love the laying down of his life for them before they or the world had any beeing nay being by their sins infinitly disobliged Ah! that most of these whom he loved so much should love him who is altogether lovely their duty his friends and interests for his sake so little Even so very little that if it were possible he could rue or repent of what he hath done and suffered to commend his love to them they would tempt him to it And indeed there is nothing that more speaks forth the freeness of his love then this that he should love them so fervently and continue thus to love them even to the end who are often so very cool in their love to him Sure such when in any measure at themselves cannot but love themselves the less and loath themselves the more that they love him so little and earnestly long for that desirable day wherein he shall be admired in and by all them that believe and when they shall get him loved as well as ever they desired to love him and as well as he shall will them to love him and when they shall be in an eternal extacy and transport of admiration at his love Sixthly Concerning the little reason that Believers have to think much of their small and petty sufferings undergone for him For what are they all even the greatest and most grievous of them being compared with his sufferings for them They are but as little chips of the Cross in comparison of the great and heavy end of it that lighted on him and not worthy to be named in one day with his All the sad and sorrowful dayes and nights that all the Saints on earth have had under their many and various and sadly circumstantiated crosses and sufferings do not by thousands of degrees come near unto let be to equal that one sad and sorrowful night which he had in Gethsemane beside all the sorrows and griefs he endured before that time where he was put to conflict with the awakened Sword of sin-revenging Justice that did most fiercely lay at him without sparing him Which terrible Combat lasted all that nighe and the next day till three a clock in the afternoon when that sharpest Sword after many sore wounds given him killed him outright at last and left him dead upon the place who yet even then when seemingly vanquished and quite ruined was a great and glorious Conquerour having by death overcome and destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil and having spoiled principalities and powers Heb. 2.14 Col. 2.15 making a shew of them openly and triumphing over them in his cross the spoils of which glorious victory Believers now divide and shall enjoy to all eternity Ah! that ever the small and inconsiderable sufferings of the Saints should so much as once be made mention of by them where his strange and stupendious sufferings offer themselves to be noticed Seventhly Concerning the unspeakably great obligation that lyeth on Believers readily pleasantly and chearfully not only to do but also to suffer for Christ as he shall call them to it even to do all that lyeth in their power for him and to suffer all that is in the power of any others to do against them on his account who did willingly and with delight do and suffer so much for them they have doubtless good reason heartily to pledge him in the cup of his cross and to drink after him there being especially such difference betwixt the cup that he drunk and that which they are put to drink his cup was stirred thick with the wrath of God having had the dregs thereof in a manner wrung out to him therein so that it was no wonder that the very sight of it made him conditionally to supplicate for its departure from him and that the drinking of it put him in a most grievous agony and cast him in a top-sweat of blood yet saith he on the matter either they or I must drink it they are not able to drink it for the drinking of it will distract them and put them mad will poison and kill them eternally but I am able to drink it and to work out the poison and venom of it and though it shall kill me I can raise up and restore my self to life again therefore Father come away with it and I will drink it up and drink it out this to the everlasting welfare of these dear souls not my will but thine be done for thus it was agreed betwixt thee
speaks of them John 17. he opposeth them to and contradistinguisheth them from all others I pray for them I pray not for the world buy for them that thou hast given me out of the world to let us know that the things prayed for to the one are denied to the other according to the strain of the Covenâ—â—t Aâ— ad ground is drawen from the strain and frame of the Covenâ—nt of Redemption where we find two things clear 1. That as to the end and convey of it the Elect are the only Persons for â—hose good and behove it 's intended and if it be the Elect for whom he entered in that Covenant theâ— the advantage good and benefite of the Elect must be eâ—ed in this main aâ—ticle of the Covenant which relates to Chriâ—'s death and sufferings For 1. In the Covenant of Redemption the good of the Elect is proposed and designed by the Father as is clear John 6.39 40. This is the Fathers will that sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing and this is the Fathers will that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life which will be the more clear if we consider the time when this is spoken it 's at such a time when many will not come to him and belâ—â—ve on him as vers 36 37. Ye also have seen me and believe not all that the Father hath given shall come unto me and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out for I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me and then follows This is the will of him that sent me c. and vers 43 44. Murmure not saith he among your selves no man can come to me except the Father that sent me draw him this ye heard of from John 17.2 at greater length 2. Look on the Son's side of the Covenant and it will also be clear for his undertaking must be according to the Fathers proposing if the Father did not propose all but some only to be redeemed then his undertaking must be for these some and not for all conform to the Fathers proposal Psal 40. Then said I lo I come to do thy will O my God now the Fathers will is that the should undertake for these given him and it 's not his will that he should undertake for others therefore he did not undertake for them 3. Christs sufferings and death are the execution of the Fathers will and therefore must be the execution of his undertaking according to his engagement for the Elect and given ones therefore these two are put together John 17.9 and 19. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me and for their sakes I sanctifie my self that is for their sakes whom thou hast given me and not for the world He sancrifies himself for them for whom he prays for them that are given him and no more 2ly This is clear in the Covenant that Christs death is intended thereâ—n as all other Mercies covenanted are that is to say to whom Faith Effectual Calling Justification c. are covenanted for these is Christ's death covenanted and for none others for the Covenant being mutual the repromâ—ssion on the Fathers part must be of equal extent with the Son's stipulation but all these are only peculiarly applicable to the Elect as benefites flowing from and following upon Christ's death which therefore must be peculiarly intended for them as being undergone for them hence when Christ speaks of Faith and Effectual Calling John 6. he says All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and none other will nor can come so Justification Pardon of Sin c. are bought to the Elect and to none others and when the smallest of blessings are covenanted and articled for none other but for the Elect shall Jesus Christ himself that gift of God or his death which is the chief thing articled in the Covenant be covenanted for or applyed to any others but to them A 3d. ground is drawen from Christs executing of his Offices for this piece or part of Christs executing of his Office must correspond and be of equal extent with all the other parts and pieces of his Offices such as his effectual teaching interceeding subduing to himself c. which are no broader then the Elect for he executes no part of any of his Offices for the behove and benefite of any but of the Electâ— he saâ—ingly enlightens no others he subâ—uts none others to the faith of the Gospel he interceeds for none others his intercession is not for the world therefore his death must be for none others all these being commenturâ—â—le and oâ— equal extent his intercession being grounded on his suffâ—ring therefore Joh. 17. he lays by the world expressly as theâ—e for whom he will not pray and looks back to the Covenant as the ground of his undertaking for the Elect given him out of the world and not for others and if he will not pray nor interceed for others what reason can be given of his dying for others when he will not do the less which is to pray for them it were absurd to think or say that he will do the greater which is to lay down his life for them A 4th ground is this Christ's death is one of the peculiar evidences of his deâ—rest love beyond which there is none greater and a main proof and fruitâ— thereof and therefore is not common to all but is intended for them only whom he peculiarly loves and designs to bring through to glory which is clear Eph. 5.26 Husbands love your wives as Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it c. Rom. 5.5 God commends his love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us John 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that a man should lay down his life for his friends there is a world of Reprobates whom Christ never loved with peculiar love and sure for these he did not die Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated saith the Lord Rom. 9.13 which the Apostle holdeth forth as a sort of copy of God's dealing in reprobation and election in reference to all Mankind and where the Lord himself hath set bounds betwixt them whom he loves and hates it 's too great liberality or rather too great presumption for any under whatever specious pretences to extend this his peculiar love to these whom he disclaims A 5th ground is taken from the effect thus All for whom Christ died are justified and freed from the guilt of their sins in due time but Christ Jesus hath not purchased and actually procured freedom to all men from their sins all men be not justified therefore he laid not down his life for all For 1. It cannot be said that he laid down his life for purchasing and buying of such wares
is pure would study soundnesse in Judgement as well as tendernesse in Practice And yet how many are readily mistaken in this Who if they meet with some that can speak a few good Words and make pretences to a holy Walk though the Second Command be baffâ—ed and disgraced by them and the Name of God torn And though the Fourth Command be made of none effect or price by them it 's thought but little of all is covered with this that they are good Folks and of a tender walk But Oh! can they be good who abuse that wherein the Name and Image of God are most tenderly concerned and will God account that to be Holinesse aggreeable to His Law that slights depreclars and vilifies the best part of His Law Let me therefore beseech you to take in and to close Error with other sins and to look upon unsoundnesse in the Truths of God as a Fruit of the Flesh and withall to look upon sound knowledge in the Mind and the form of sound words in the Mouth as being a Duty that is called for from you as well as other Duties We the rather take occasion to speak to this because the Devil is seeking to turn Men meer Athiests Gallio's as to the Truths of God to care for none of these things and as to weir out the esteem of Truth so to make People to look upon Error as if there were no hurt by it it 's sad that there is not more scarring at and keeping distance from the company of such if they can but give a parcel of good Words and make shewes of respect to Piety in this lukewarm time there is need to guard against this Temper or rather Distemper and to look well that we half not nor divide the Pattern and Copie which God in his Word hath cast to us and set before us we would studie Purity and Tenderneâ—â—e in our Walk and Growth in sound Knowledge and would walk humbly under the impression of our hazard It 's sad when Folks are ill girded and yet scarcely discern it It seems to be a winnowing time and some are already taken off their feet who thought not some Moneths or Years since to have carried in reference to the Truth as they have done It hath been Gods mercy to this place that he hath hedged us about hitherto at which the Devll hath raged not a little Be humbled and have an eye to Him thâ—t can keep his People and can establish them in the Truth and make them unbleamable in holiness till the coming of the Lord. We come now to the 10. verse and from the first part of it yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief These three things arise clearly 1. That though our Lord Jesus was most innocent in His own Person yet was He put to exceeding sore Tryalls and sharp Sufferings For 1 He was bruised to wit like Corn betwixt the upper and neither Milstones or lâ—ke Grapes in the Wine presse which respects not so much his outward sufferings though great for a bone of him was not broken as His inward Soul-sufferings and the inward pressures of Wrath that were on His Humane Soul 2. He was put to grief was sore straitned and punished and these expressions import so much my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death my soul is sore troubled and what shal I say and my God my God why hast thou forsaken me The particulars of this grief were spoken to before and we shew in what respect He was so humbled and that He was most sinless and wâ—thout any the least carnal mude or passion under these expressions in which the sense of grief vented it self most in Him Only if it be here asked what is the reason why the Prophet doth so much insist in pointing out Christ's Sufferings and the extremity of them that scarce almost is there one Verse but he hath in it some one or other new aggravation of them we conceive the reason of it is 1. Because there is nothing wherein the greatness of the Love of God and the kindlinesse of the Mediators condescending doth appear in this for the more He Suffered the more the Love of God shined and His condescendency kythed the more this being the great instance and demonstrative proof of the Love of God God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son As it is John 3.16 O! manifold and vastly comprehensive So what is unfolded in it Eternity will but suffice fully to unfold and this being the great instance of the Mediators condescendencie and of His commending His Love to sinners That while we were yet enemies he died for us As it is Rom. 5. The Lord loves to have this the subject of our thoughts that we may be led thereby in to the Soul-ravishing and satisfying contemplation of the Love whence it came 2. Because there is not any one thing that lyes nearer or that is readily of greater concern to Believers then to be well acquainted with Christ's Sufferings wherein the Lord would have his People spiritually perqueir and it is of their concernment in a twofold respect 1. As it is the ground of their peace Therefore He is called our Peace and a Propitiation for by being acquâ—inâ—ed with Christ's Sufferings Believers have a solid ground for their Faith whereby they discover access to peace with God to Pardon of sin and Justification the Mediator having undergone these sufferings for this end 2. As it is the ground of their Consolation considering that they have a suffering Mediator that hath payed the Price that was due by them even such an One that knows 〈◊〉 what it was to be bruised with Wrath and is therefor very tender of and compassionat towards Souls that are under challenges and apprehensions of Wrath These are sweet words which we have to this purpose 1 John 2. 1. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sins who was content to Suffer and Satisfie for them O! consider then what ye are doing when ye read of His sufferings for the very Marrow of the Gospel and the Life of the Consolation of the People of God lyes here 2. From these words Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Observe That the Lord Jehovah had the main and principal hand in all the Sufferings of this Innocent Mediator It was not the Jews nor the Scribes and Pharisees nor Pilat but it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief As is clear Act. 4.27 28. Herod and Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done In all that they did they were but doing that which was carved out before in the Eâ—ernal Counsel of God and therefore Peter sayes Act. 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinat
have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord Thus when ye come submissively to his hand he comes as it were sweetly to yours and as ye gain nothing by your striving with him so ye lose nothing but gain much by your soft stooping and silent submitting to him If ye humble your selves in the sight of the Lord James 4.10 1 Pet. 5.6 he shall left you up humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time Fifthly If it be considered That ye stand in need of all the Troubles Tryals and Afflictions that ye meet with whenever ye are in heaviness through one or moe 1 Pet 1.6 or manifold Temptations it is always and only if need be And if ye be well seen in the state and posture of your Soul-affairs what Graces of the Spirit are to be quickned and drawen forth into more lively and vigorous Exercise what of these precious spices in your Gardens are to be blowen upon not only by the more gentle and soft South-winds of Consolations but also by the more sharp and nipping North-winds of Afflictions and to be beaten as it were in the Morter thereof that they send forth their pleasant and fragrant smell what religious Duties are either much neglected or but very lifelesly coldly formally lazily superficially and heartlesly performed and to what a higher pitch and peg of Spirituality in the manner of performing them they are to be scrued up what Lusts and Corruptions are to be further moâ—tified and subdued How little your Hypocisie your self-Self-love and Self-seeking your Pride Passion Impatiency Unplyableness and Unsubmittedness to the will of God your Carnalness Earthly-mindedness your immoderate and inordinate love to the things of the World your murmuring and fretting at your dissatisfaction and discontent with your present lot how little these and many other Corruptions are crucified and brought at under if I say ye be well seen and versed in the knowledge of your spiritual condition ye will upon serious and thorow reflections find that ye stand in need of every Affliction ye meet with as to all the circumstances thereof or if ye do not in so far ye are unacquainted with and strangers to your selves and to the state and posture of your spiritual Affairs nay ye will easily find that all even your heaviest Crosses and Afflictions have enough adoe to work you up to what you should be at and though sometimes ye may be disposed to think that ye could hardly bear any more yet ye will upon due search find that ye could have wanted nothing of what ye meet with without a greater prejudice than the Cross hath brought along with it We are naturally froward and peevish bent to fretfulness and discontent inclining rather to restless endeavouring to have our lot brought up to our Spirits then to be at suitable pains to have our Spirits brought down to our lot and therefore have much need to be tamed and calmed by the Cross This rugged and uneasie temper of Spirit being the great hinderer yea opposite of that stayed and sweet contentation of Heart with and in every state which is the very life of a Christians life Luk 12.15 consisting as the Lord saith not in the abundance of the things which we possess but in our satisfiedness with them whether abundant or not To the attaining unto which blessed temper the shortest cut and most compendious way is in the first place to be well-pleased and satisfied with God himself and with a solidly secured interest in him and to endeavour in the next place to be well-pleasing in his sight to be gracious in his eyes to stand well in his thoughts even to do always those things that please him John 8.29 to which desirable frame of Soul it we were once through Grace brought whereto our bearing of the Yoke and putting our shoulders under the Cross is not a little through Gods blessing contributive O! how good natur'd then and easie to please would we be found to be and how ready to construe well of all that he doth to us seldom out of humor to speak so Now if we stand in need of all the Afflictions we are trysted with in all their most sad and sorrowful circumstances as certainly we do because God who cannot lie or mistake hath said it why should we not submit our selves to his will in measuring them out to us or what just reason can there be to be dissatisfied with or to complain of Gods giving to and ordering that for us whereof we stand in need and which we cannot want without being considerably prejudged and worsted by the want Sixthly If it be considered That in all your Chastisements and Afflictions God is graciously driving the blessed design of your spiritual good and profit making them all to work together for that desirable end Rom. 8.25 Phil. 1.19 causing them turn to your salvation through the help of the Prayers of others of his People and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ giving you assurance by his faithful word of Promise that thereby your iniquity shall be purged Isa 27.9 and that this shall be all the fruit O! strange and admirable condescention of Grace all the fruit to take away sin and that he will not chastise you as parents according to the flesh do their children to wit for their own pleasure who however they may have a general design of good to their Children in their chastising of them yet through a remainder of corruption in the best of them Heb. 12.10 they are often subjected to such hurries and transports of Passion when it comes to the act of chastisement that they much forget to consult the good and advantage of the chastised Child and too much gratify their own pleasure and humor but that be will chastise for your profite that ye may be made partakers of his holiness Now if this be his design in chastising and if this be the promised fruit of your Chastisements and Afflictions why should ye not therein submit to his pleasure which hath your own profite inseparably joined within it if ye your selves do not sinfully lay obstructions in the way thereof as otherwise so particularly by your being displeased with this his pleasure which yet his Grace in his own People suffers not to be invincible nor final I do not say that our Chastisments
my self or separate my self to be a sacrifice 2. Christs satisfaction and his intercession being the two parts of his Priestly Office and his intercession being founded on his satisfaction as it is clearly v. 12. of this 53. of Isaiah yea â— very learned man affirms that Christs appearance in Heaven and his intercession are not properly Sacerdotal acts but in so far as they lean on the vertue of his perfected sacrifice What just relevant or cogent reason can there be to make a disjunction betwixt these parts of his Office and to extend the most difficult operous and costly part to all men and to narrow the other which is the more easie part as that whereby he only deals for the application of what he hath made a purchase of by his satisfaction which put him to much sad and sore soul-travel and to restrict it to the elect and gifted ones 3. Doth not the Scripture hold forth his death and the shedding of his blood as the great demonstration of his special love to his own elect people As is clear else-where so particularly Joh. 15.13 Greater love then this hath no man then that a man lay down his life for his friends Nay purchased reconciliation through the death of Christ is by the Holy Ghost made a greater evidence of divine love in some respect then the glorification of the reconciled according to what the Apostle saith Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life 4. All the other gifts of God to sinners even the greatest spiritual ones fall hugely below the giving of Jesus Christ himself that gift of God by way of eminency As the Apostle reasoneth irresragably for the comfort of believers Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Will he give the greatest gift and not give the lesser As Justification Adoption Sanctification and Glorification Which how great soever in themselves are yet lesser then the giving of Christ himself to the death And if it be undeniably certain that he giveth not these to all which are the lesser and lower gifts why should it be thought that he hath given the higher and greater 5. Shall that grand expression of the special love of God be made common by extending it to all the world the greatest profligats and Atheists not excepted no not Pharaoh nor Ahab not Judas the traitor nor Julian the Apostat nay nor any of all the damned reprobates who were actually in Hell when he died and shed his blood 6. If he died thus for all it seems that the new Song of the redeemed Rev. 5. would have run and sounded better thus thou hast redeemed us all and every man of every kindred and tongue and people and nation to God by thy blood then as it there stands by inspiration of the Holy Ghost Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation But who may presume by such an universality to extend and ampliat what he hath so restricted and to make that common to all which God hath peculiarized to a few favourites But the Author having much to better purpose on this Head in these Sermons I need add no more here I shall only further say of these astonishing in a manner non-plussing and surpasing great sufferings of blessed Jesus that as they were equivalent to what all the elect deserved by their sins and should have suffered in their own persons throughout all eternity consistently with the innocency and excellency of his Person and with the dignity of his Mediatory Office Therefore it is said v. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death or as it is in the Original In his deaths in the Plural Number as if he had died the death of every one of the Elect or as if there had been a conjunction and combination of all their deaths in his one death And v. 6. That the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all or as the word is made the iniquity of us all to meet on him there having been a solemn tryst convocation and rendezvous as it were of all the iniquities of all the Elect more common and more peculiar in all their various aggravating circumstances not so much as one committed since Adams first transgression or to be committed to the day of Judgement being absent in the punishment of them upon his person no wonder that such a load of innumerable thousands and millions of iniquities made him heavily to groan and that the consideration thereof made great Luther say That Christ was the greatest sinner in all the world to wit by imputation of the guilt of all the sins of all the Elect to him and by his having had the punishment of them all laid upon his person So we may from them be instructed in these things First Concerning the hight of holy displicence and detestation that the Majesty of God hath at sin the only thing in the whole world that his soul hates and which in the vile and abominable nature of it hath an irreconciliable antipathy with and enmity against his infinitely pure holy and blessed nature and hath a tendency could it possibly be effected to seek after the destruction and annihilation of the very beeing of God and is interpretatively Deicide The Language of it being O that there were not a God That he cannot behold it in his own sinless innocent and dearly beloved Son though but by imputation for he was not made formally the sinner as Antinomians blasphemously averr but he will needs in so terrible a manner testify his great dislike of and deep displeasure at it and take such formidable vengeance on it even in his person Ah! the nature of sin which God who is of pure eyes cannot where-ever it be behold without perfect abhorrency of it is but little thorowly understood and pondered Would we otherwise dare to dally and sport with it or to take the latitudes in committing of it at the rate we do I have sometimes thought that it is an errour in the first concoction to say so of Religion in many Proffessors of it end pretenders to it that we have never framed suitable apprehensions of the most hateful vile and abominable nature of sin which hath a great influence on the superficiariness and overliness of all duties and practices of Religion and that many of us had need to be dealt with as skilful School-masters use to deal with their Schollars that are foundered in the first Principles of Learning lest they prove but smatters all their days to bring them back again to these even to be put to learn this first Lesson in Religion better and more thorowly to understand the jealousie of God as to
that ye think not Faith and Holiness necessary but that ye may come to Heaven another way and this is an old Fault and Deceit it was in Moses his days for some are brought in Deut. 29.19 saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart and add drunkenness to thirst though I tipple daily at my Four Hours though I follow my Lusts and Pleasures and take my fouth and fill of the World we cannot be all Saints c. The Lord will not spare that man but His anger and jealousie shall smoke against him and all the curses that are written in this book shall ly upon him and the Lord will blot out his name from under Heaven and though this be not now believed it shall be found verified There are many when they come to Judgment that will know to their cost the truth of many things they never believed before as we find in that rich Man who says to Abraham Send some to tell my brethren that they come not to this place of torment it says as much as that He in his life-time did not believe how terribly-tormenting a place Hell is and it is even so still Though Men and Women have immortal Souls yet they go on following their sinful way and believe not that any evil shall befall them till God's Curse and Vengeance overtake them A third Ground or Cause is That Folk never think themselves in hazard nor suffer their hazard to affect them and therefore they seek not after the Remedy hence the Jâ—ws Scribes and Pharisees rejected Christ why they were righteous Persons whole and needed not the Physiciâ—n And thus it is with many of you ye will take with it that ye are Sinners but not with the gracelesness of your Nature and this makes it that when Life and Reconciliation with God are offered we have almost none to accept of it why so ye are generally in your own opinion good Friends with God already none of you almost think that ye have hatred at God and so ye carelesly and unconcernedly let the opportunity of making your Peace with Him slip over even like these Jews spoke of Joh. 8.44 45. who when Christ said to them Ye have the devil to your father answered he had a devil and that God was their Father that they were come of Abraham and were not born of fornication So it is with many of you ye could never endure to even your selves to Hell nor to take with it that ye were heirs of Wrath as if ye had been born with other Natures then the ordinary Race of Mankind is and this keeps so many of you that ye get no good of this Gospel for it seeks Sinners to pardon them and Enemies to reconcile them and till the Feud be once taken with the Friendship will never be sought after nor will it find Merchants though when once the Enmity is taken with the Gospel hath many sweet peaceful and comfortable words to speak to the Man afterwards A fourth Ground is The love of Money and of the World which is the root of all ill This is given as a main Cause Matth. 13. why the Word profites not The seed is sowen among thorns and the thorns spring up and chock it the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches chocked the Word This is not oppression nor stealing but entanglement with and addictedness to the things of this present World Folks allowing themselves too much satisfaction in their Riches and Pelf counting themselves as if all were well if they have it and grieved if they want it as if there were nothing but that to make Happy being wholly taken up about it and leaving no room for the concerns of their Souls for Prayer and Seeking of God nor for Challenges to work on them they are so wholly taken up with their Callings and Business for they lay it for a Ground that they must be rich and then they give themselves wholly to all things that may contribute to that end and that chockes and suffocates the Word that it never comes up that nothing comes to perfection therefore Christ says Luke 21.24 Take heed ye be not overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this life I am afraid that many moe among you who are civil and esteemed vertuous and frugal shall perish in this Pit of Worldly-mindedness then shall perish by Drunkenness Gluttony Fornication or the like and yet there is nothing more frequent in Scripture then words spoken to scar Folk from Earthly-mindedness How hard is it says Christ for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heaven and such a Man is he that is taken up with Riches and places his Happiness and Contentment in them whether he have more or less of them We speak not this to foster Idleness in any but to press Moderation in the use of lawful things Ye think it enough if we cannot charge you with Oppression Stealing Whoring and the like but this Gospel will charge you with the love of Money and if it find the love of the World in you the love of the Father will not be found in you Doth not your experience tell you that it 's not an easie matter to be much taken up with the World and to win at a suitable disposition for Duties of Religion and to be painful in them A fifth Ground is Folks little prizing of the Gospel and the Benefites that come by it They look not upon it as their Happiness to have Communion with God they who are invited to the Marriage of the King's Son Mat. 22. will not come and the reason is given they made light of it the Offer of the Gospel hath no weight it relishes not If a Market of fine things at a cheap Rate were proclaâ—med ye would all run to it but ye delight not in the Word of God ye prize not the Gospel and the precious Wares that it exposeth to sale amongst you And to evidence and make out this I would ask you these few Questions And 1. I would ask you how often or rather how seldom have you sitten down purposly and thanked God for sending the Gospel to you ye have given thanks for your Dinner but how often have ye given Him thanks that ye have the Gospel Sabbath-days and Week-days 2. How little do many of you wait on the Preaching of it were there a Message sent to you but from some ordinary Man let be from a great Man ye would straiten your selves and your Business too somewhat that ye might hear it and yet it 's a wonder to think how some in this Place except on the Sabbath will hardly be seen in the Church from one end of the Year to the other 3. Had ye any evident to draw of House or Land ye would seek to have it drawn very well and sure but many of you never sought to have the evidents of Heaven made sure ye
every thing whereof ye are said to be shorâ— Though ye live and should die Carnal and Unrenewed yet ye think stil ye have an honest Mind or Heart for all that and what I pray is your honest Mind but a rotten and prophane Heart that vails your Hypocrisie with a pretext of Honesty Would ye think that Man honest spoke of Isa 44.19 who with one part of the Tree warmed himself and with another part made a god and fell down and prayed to it and yet in your Sense he hath an honest Mind for he followeth his light which is but darkness and the deceit of his Heart carrying him away from God though he cannot see it he discerns not because he considers not that there is a lie in his hand and that a deceived heart hath led him aside so it is with you and if many of you saw what is latent under that honest Mind and Heart there would be nothing that would make you loath your selves more a little time will convince you that that which ye looked for most good from was your greatest and most traiterous Enemy He that trusts in his own heart is a fool saith Solomon Prov. 28.26 it supposes that Folks are ready to lippen to their Heart and to hearken to the language of it concerning their Spiritual Estate but it says also that they are Fools that do so for it betrayes them and there is no folly comparable to that whereby a Man betrayes his own immortal Soul and that he doth who trusts in his own Heart A seventh Reason is from the deceitfulness of our Heart and the natural Corruption that sticks to us There is naturally in us Pride and Self-conceit we are disposed and given to think any thing that is our own though it be but a shew is as good as others reality to think our own Light and Knowledge our own other Parts and Gifts to be as good as those of any others whosoever they be And with Pride there is joined Self-love we dow not abide to think evil of our selves or to suspect our selves Though this Self-love be indeed Self-hatred and is but love to our Corruptions and makes us that when we live in hatred of God to think that we love Him so that we cannot be induced to think that we love Him not for we know that love to God is good and we love our selves so well that we cannot endure to think that we want it hence it 's said of some in the last Times 2 Tim. 3.2 3. That they shall he covetous proud boasters blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers c. having a form of godliness and denying the power of it and the founâ—ain of all is self-Self-love for saith he men shall be lovers of their own selves And as Self-love is the fountain of much Evil so it 's the fountain of Self-deceit and keeps out any thing that may make Men question their own Condition so that if a word come in and say thou hast no ground for thy Faith the Heart will be ready to answer and say it cannot be that I am a Self-deceiver and Self-love as a partial Judge will offer to vindicate the Man and so makes him shift the Challenge Now when all these are put together you may see how many Grounds Folks have to go wrong upon and Men having Hearts disposing and inclining them to go wrong and little pains being taken to discover the deceit of them is it any wonder that they think they Believe when indeed they Believe not and be empty and toom-handed having little or nothing to rest upon while they think they are Rich and want nothing These are not fancied and far fetched things but obvious and at Hand and may easily be gathered from your daily Practice In all which it 's our design and scope to bring you to try your long unquestioned Peace do not therefore think that it is impossible to be thus perswaded as many of you are and yet to be mistaken which is another Ground of Folks deceit for Laodicea was very confident in thinking her self to be rich and encreased in goods and to stand in need of nothing when she was in the mean time poor blind miserable wretched and naked and the Galatians as we may see chap. 5.8 had a perswasion which was not of God As there may be a perswasion of a point of Doctrine as being right which yet is an errour so there may be a perswasion of a Man's Spiritual State as being right and which he will stoutly maintain to be so while in the mean time that perswasion is not of God that calleth him but a strong Delusion If all that be Faith that ye call Faith then certainly the way to Heaven is much broader then the Scripture hath chalked it out and Ministers needed not say Who believes our report for all should thus believe it It will then and must then turn to this that your perswasion is not of Him that calleth you and if a deceit may ly and lurk under this perswasion of yours ye have certainly so much the more need to put the business to tryal And this is the last Use which we cannot now insist on That seeing so many think they Believe who Believe not and that there are but few that believe the Report and indeed rest on Christ for their Salvation as He is offered to them in the Gospel it is of your concernment to endeavour to put your selves without the reach of this Complaint and to make it sure that ye have believed and received the Report Is there any thing of concernment if this be not even to makâ— your Calling and Election sure and that cannot be made sure as to you till your Faith be made sure If we could prevail this far with you we would count it a blessed Fruit of this and of many other Preachings even that some of you who have never quâ—stioned your Faith might be engaged first seriously to close with Christ and then to put your selves to the tryal that on distinct grounds ye might be able to say I know in whom I have believed and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day There are many of you that talk of Faith and yet cannot only not assert your Interest in Christ distinctly but cannot so much as give any solid grounds of your Believing and should not this think ye put you to try it Is there not a Day coming wherein ye will all be tried whether your alledged Faith was true Faith or but Presumption and wherein the Conscience which is now quiet and which it may be never keeped you from an hours Sleep shall awake and put forth its Sting and shall bite and gnaw and ye who shall continue under the power of this Delusion will be put to gnaw your Tongues for pain and horrour under the gnawings of your Conscience Ye that
grave and buried as if death had gotten the victory over him And so he dies a most shameful death after he had lived a most mean and abject life 2. For his afflicted condition it is clear if we consider what troubles did accompany him in his life and at his death No sooner was he born but as I said he is persecuted by Herod so that himself and his parents must needs flee down to Egypt and they being but poor folks behoved in so long a journey to meet with many difficulties That they were but poor may be seen by Maries offering after her Purification And when he came forth in his Publick Ministry at his very entry to it he was most terribly tempted of the Devil taking occasion of his hunger after long fasting And all along the exercise of it what contradiction did he meet with from the Scribes and Pharisees How did he travel on his feet from place to place Often suâ—ject to weariness and fainting sometimes men will not so much as give him lodging which he suffers patiently and rebukes his Disciples for their impatience and preposterous zeal Luke 9. Many calumnies and reproaches were cast upon him He was called Beelzebub a Deceiver a friend of Publicans and Sinners How did some of his frâ—ends according to the flesh snarl at him and offer to bind him as a mad man What plots and conspiracies were laid and made to take away his life And when it came to the upshot of all Peter shamefully denied him and all the other Disciples forsook him and fled Many other things befell him as may be seen in the History of his Sufferings written by the Evangelists We read that he wept thrice to let us know that it was his frequent and familiar exercise And a little before his death we read that he was in a great agony and did therein sweat blood and offered prayers with strong cryes and tears but we read not that he did laugh or that ever any worldly mirth was found in him which clearly makes out this truth That he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief For Use It would take the tongues of Men and Angels to speak of it it being the most remarkable and soul-refreshing Subject that ever the world heard of even that of which the Angels sing Luke 2.10 11. Good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people that unto you is born in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And this shall be a sign to you ye shall find the babe wraped in swadling-cloaths lying in a manger Sure we should not sing less but more then Angels Men being more concerned then Angels in these things And therefore 1. Behold believe and wonder that he that was rich became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich that he that was Lord of all became servant to all that he that was the infinite God the express image of his Fathers person and thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet humbled himself and became of no reputation and took on him the form of a servant c. Behold we say believe and wonder at this 1. In respect of the cause it came from to wit everlasting love He did and suffered all this most willingly there was no constraint on him But as it is Psal 40. He delighted to do his Fathers will He had power to lay down his life and to take it up again 2. In respect of the end it was not to add to his own glory for as God his Glory being infinit it was not neither was capable of diminution or addition but he became poor that we might be made rich He was a man of sorrows that we might be made to rejoice he wept that we might laugh he wanted that we might have Is not this love stooping thus loâ— to be wondered at Was there ever the like heard of That God the great Party offended should come so low to recover the despicable Parties offending and that even while they were rank enemies to him God commendeth his love to us saith the Apostle Rom. 5.8 that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us And saith himself John 15. Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends But when we were enemies Christ died for us Were it then an unsuitable use of this Doctrine to be beholding believing and wondering at his love and to be often thinking and saying What is man that God should be so mindful of him as to send the Heir of all things his own Son into the world as his great Ambassadour and Commissioner to negotiat a peace betwixt himself and rebel-sinners which he was to purchase by becoming so very low and by suffering so very much 2. See in this the great evil and hurt of sin and the difficulty of making peace betwixt God and a sinner who hath provoked God Is it a little matter that made our Lord condescend and stoop so low O! if folk knew the evil of sin And that ere Justice could be satisfied the Son of God behoved to become Man and a deeply humbled Man The Sword of his avenging Justice behoved to awake against him and smite the man that was his fellow rather then that sin should go unpunished and Justice should want satisfaction Beware lightly to boast and brag of mercy or to think it easie to make your peace with God And remember that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God 3. See in this much condescending in our blessed Lord Jesus and a motive as well as a copy of patience in him who is content to be made of a woman made under the Law who submits himself unto the Law and takes on a mean and afflicted state of life in the world It 's a wonder that Christs members should take so ill with a mean suffering and hard lot seing their lot is far very far from the contempt reproaches sorrows weights and griefs that accompanied their Head and Lord And it 's a shame that believers minds and hearts should be set so much on these things that he who was and is their Lord and Master and the Heir of all things possessed so little of or that they should place their happiness in whole or in part in the injoyment of these things or their misery in the want of them More patience under the Cross under watchings weariness reproaches c. would become us much better our blessed Lord Jesus had a great many moe 4. See this to be not only a motivâ— to patience in respect of outward things but a stâ—pping stoâ—e and ground of encouragement to go forward to Christ with every want spiritual and temporal It 's much that our Lord became Man but it 's more that he became a man under griefs afflictions sorrows and temptations and was subject to death it self And that he hath bowels of
him And these are distinguished from these not given John 17.6 11. And are called his sheep Joh. 10.15 and 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life to wit for my sheep And all the strain of this Chapter being to shew Gods way of contriving and prosecuting the work of Redemption and Christs executing thereof according to the Covenant of Redemption All this spoken of Christs suffering must be expounded according to that ingagement 2. Whereas it is said v. 8. For the transgressions of my people was he stricken It is certain this our and us and we for whom Christ was stricken must be restricted to Gods people That is his peculiar people who are his by electing love as Christ saith Joh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them to me They are not his as all the World are his but are contradistinguished from the world as his own peculiar purposed designed people Sure all the World are not God's People in this sense therefore they are called his sheep and contradistinguished from these who are not his sheep Joh. 10.17 And therefore we are to look on these words our us and we as of equivalent extent with the peculiar people of God He carried the punishment of the sins of all Gods people that are his peculiar election 3. So v. 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed Hence we gather this that these whose iniquities Châ—ist bare are Christs Seed and for these he purposely laid down his life as these whom he expected should be saved for satisfying of him for the travel of his soul and for no moe and these cannot certainly be all the World there being such contradistinction betwixt Christ Mystical or his Seed comprehending the Elect And the Seed of the Serpent comprehending the Reprobat and Wicked who are said to be of their father the Devil These are Christs Seed who are spiritually begotten of him and these doubtless are not all the World and for these only he suffered So that our sins here are the sins of all the Seed 4. Look to v. 11. where it is said By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Where it is clear whose sins they are that Christ bears it 's theirs who are justified by his knowledge or by faith in his blood and justification by faith in his blood and redemption by his blood are commensutable and of equal extent Now it being certain as to the event that not all the World nor all in the visible Church are justified by the Faith of Christ it must also be certain that the sins of others who are not nor shall not be justified were never purposly born by Christ And this ground as all the rest will be the more clear if we consider that it is given as an Argument why they must be justified because he hath born their iniquities A 5. ground may be gathered from the last words of the Chapter He made intercession for the transgressours Whence we may reason that Christ's intercession and his satisfaction are of equal extent he satisfies for no moe then he interceeds for Now it was not for all the World nor indefinitely and by guess for all in the visible Church that Christ did interceed but for them that the Father had given him out of the world John 17. v. 9. and v. 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them me And v. 10. All mine are thine and thine are mine Christs death being the ground of his intercession and it being by vertue of his death that he interceeded his death and intercession must be of the same extent He interceeds for such and such sinners because he hath payed a price for them that there may be a good account made of them at the last day The 1. Use of it serves to clear a great and precious truth concerning Gods Covenant and discriminating love whereby he hath put difference betwixt some and others 2. It serves to stir them up who are thus differenced to admire at and to commend his love who hath been graciously mindful of them when others are past by 3. It serves also to clear other Scriptures and this same Chapter and to teach us not to make common to all the priviledges bestowed on some peculiar ones and to guard us against the vilifying and prophaning of our Lords sufferings as if he had no special and peculiar design in them or as if they might be frustrated in the design of them contrary to the promises made to him of the Father And therefore here to obviat an Objection which is made from the 6 vers All we like sheep have gone astray Whence some would infer that it 's all who like sheep have strayed whose iniquities Christ hath born We say that that all is not meant to comprehend them whose iniquities Christ hath born only but to hold out the extent of straying or the meaning is not to shew that his suffering and satisfying of Justice extended to all that strayed but to shew that the Elect for whom he suffered had all of them strayed as well as others And this is like the reasoning which the Apostle hath 2 Cor. 5.14 If one died for all then were all dead The meaning whereof is not that Christ died for all that were dead but this is the meaning that all for whom Christ died were once dead so here while it 's said All we like sheep have gone astray It is to shew that the Elect strayed and esteemed him not as well as others and had Goâ—s curse lying on them as their due all Christ interposed and took it off them as well as others The Point might have also Use for Confirmation but we do not follow these 2. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows that is our griefs and sorrows who are his Elect his People his Seed who flee to him for refuge and are justified by his knowledge or by Faith in him and for whom he maketh intercession Hâ—nce Observe that Believers would endeavour the strengthening of themselves in the Faith of this that Jâ—sus Christ hath born their griefs and sorrows and hath satisfied Justice for tâ—en in particular they would study to be in case on good ground with the Prophet to say Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows To make it sure that they are in the Roll of Elect Believers and Justified Persons To say with the Apostle Paul Gal. 3.13 He was made a curse for us And with the same Apostle 2 Cor. 5. ult to say He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him And to say with the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree they speak alwayes by way of application So in these places whereby we confirmed the Doctrine that Christ really bare that punishment of
that he should be opp essâ—â— and afflicted and brought as a lamb to the slaughter that he should be numbred amongâ—t the transgressours and that he should die and be buried make his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death all which are clearly fulfille in him and the clearing of his Sufferings whereof we spoke before clears this that not only he suffered but that he was brought so low in suffering 2 For the ground of his Sufferings its â—aid to be the sins of his own Elect He bare our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgrâ—ssions and bruised for our iniquities there was no guile found in his mouth the greatest enemies of our Lord could impute nothing to him Pilat was forced to say that he found no fault in him all which shew that it was for the Transgressions of his People that he suffered 3. As for Mens little esteem of him it is also very clear for He was despised and rejected of men we hid as it were our faces from him He was despised and we esteemed him not the World thought little of him and we that are elect thought but little of him and what is more clear in the Gospel then this where it is told that he was reproached buffeted spitted on despised they criâ—d away with him crucifie him He trusted in God let him deliver him but God hath forsaken him 4. As for the Promises made to him He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands He shâ—ll see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied and by his knowledge shall many be justified c. what mean all these but that he shall die and rise again and have many Converts that God's work shall thrive well in his hand and that he shall have a glorious Kingdom and many Subjects which is caâ—led afterward his having a portion with the great and his dividing of the sooil with the strong All this was accompl shed in Christ when after his Resurrectâ—on many were win and brought in by the Gospel to believe on him and though Jews and eathens concurred and conspired to cuâ— off all Christians yet his Kingdom spread and hath continued these sixteen hundred years and above 5. As for the effects that followed on his Sufferings or the influence they have on the elect People of God as mâ—ny Converts as have been and are in the World as many Witnesses are there that he is the Messiah every converted pardoned and reconciled Soul seals this truth Hence 1 John 5.7 8 it is said There are three that bear witness in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and there are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit in his efficacy the Water in the sanctifying vertue of it in changing and cleansing his People and the Blood in the satifying and justifying vertue of it and these three agree and concur in one even this one to wit that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and then it follows He that believeth hath the witness in himself because he hath gotten Pardon through him and therefore can set to his Seal to this truth and say truly Christ is the Messiah The Use is To exhort you to acquaint your selves with these things that serve to confirm this truth the book of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the Hebrews are much spâ—nt upon it even to hold out and to prove Christ Jesus to be the true Messiah and Saviour of his People If this be not made sure and sicker we have an unstable ground for our Faith and though it be sure in it self yet so long as it is not so to us we want the consolation of it and there is a twofold prejudice that cometh through Folks want of thorow clearness in and assurance of this truth 1. To the generality of Hearers there is this prejudice that they are so careless and little solicitous to rest on him And as it made the Jews to râ—ject him who to this day stumbâ—e at him on this same very ground that they know him not to be the Messiah the Christ of God in whom is accomplished all that was spoken of the Messiah to Christians not being through in it they do not rest on him nor close with him as the true Messiah 2. There is a prejudice also from it to Believers who having only a glimring light of Christs being the Messiah come short of thar consolation that they might hâ—ve if they were through in the Fâ—ith oâ— it there is this great evil among Christians that they study not to be solidly clear and through in this point to that if they were puâ— to reason and debate with a Jew if there were not a witness within themsâ—lves of it the truth of the Faith of many would be exceedingly shaken 2. From this That he never speaks of Christs Sufferings but he makes applicâ—tion of them he carried our Griefs he was wounded for our Transgressions c. Observe That Believers would look on Christs Sufferings as undergone for them and in their rooms and place We cleared before 1. That Christ suffâ—red for some peculiarly and not for all And 2. Thâ—t Believers would endeavour the clearing of their own interest in his Sufferings and that they have a right to them Now we shortly add this 3d. of kin to the former That B lievers and such as are fled to Christ for refuge would look on his Suffâ—rings as come under for them and these same Scriptures which we cited to confirm these will confirm this The reason why we would have you confirmed in this is Because 1 It is only this that will make you suitably thankful it is this which is a notable ground of that Song of Praise Rev. 1.4 To him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood c. 2. This is a ground of true solid and strong consolation even to be comforted in the applicative Faith of Christs purchase 3. It is the Lords allowance on his People which they should reverently and thankfully make use of even to look on Jesus Christ as wounded pierced and lifted up on the Cross for them and by doing this according to his allowance there is a paved way made for application of all the benefites of his purchase 3. From the scope looking on the words as spoken to remove the scandal of the Cross Observe which may be a reason of the former that folk will never take up Christ rightly in his sufferings except they take him up as suffering for them and in their room This look of Christ leads 1. To take up much of the glory of grace and condescending love to sinners 2. It leads to take up Christs faithfulness that came to the world on sinners errand according to the ancient transaction in the Covenant of Redemption as he is brougbt in
with you either think on the right way which is by putting Christ in in your Room and laying of Religion to the heart in sad earnest or dream not of coming to Heaven A 2d Sort are they who are not altogether so prophane as the others but will condemn them as indeed the practice of many is loathsome they will it may be Pray in their Families and will not be Drunk neither will they Swear nor Lye and they will walk blamelesly and upon these grounds they promise Heaven to themselves very confidently and yet they come not through the sense of their sinfull and cursed State by Nature to close with Christ by Faith and to make use of His Sacrifice such err on the other hand Oh! when shall we be at this not to neglect the study of Holiness and yet not to rest on it to the prejudice of this one Offering This were a a practice suitable to and worthy of Professors of the Gospel to be seriously aiming at all Duties of Holiness that are called for and yet to be building all their expectation of any good from God on the Sacrifice of Christ alone never coming to God without bring it along with them and looking through it to be accepted before Him there n eds no more and no other thing that we can bring will do our turn nor be taken off our hand if this be neglected The Lord Himself teach us this way SERMON XXXVII ISAIAH LIII X Vers 10. When thou shalt make his Soul an offering for sin He shall see his seed He shall prolong his dayes And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand WHat ever the Men of the World think of it it is not an easie matter to get the Justice of God Satisfied for Sin and to get the Wrath and Curse that Men by Sin have drawn on themselves removed Offerings of Bullocks and Goats thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl will not do it the Redemption of the Soul is so precious that it ceaseth for ever that way and by all such Means Therefore the Lord in His wisdom hath found out the Means and in His Grace and Love hath Condescended that His own dear Son His Fellow shall as a Lamb without Spot be a Sin-offering to take away the Sins of His Elect World and this is the great Consideration under which we should take up the Death of Christ as making Himself therein an Offâ—ring for Sin and interposing Himself to satisfie Divine Justice that forgiveness might be made forthcoming to us The Doctrine which we proposed to be spoken to the last day was this That Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering by which Sin can be taken away and God so Satisfied as to forbear the Punishment of the Sinner and to admit him to Peace and Friendship with Him If we would Enumerat all things imaginable and Invent Wayes and Means without number to remove Sin or to make a Sinners Peace with God there is no other Means but this that will do it As we have it Heb. 10. Christ Jesus by his once offering up of himself perfects for ever these who are sanctified and Act. 4. There is no other name given under heaven whereby sinners can be saved but the name of Jesus The Use is To Commend and to Demonstrat to us all the necessity of the Use making of this one Offering of Christ if He be the one Offering to take away Sin and if no other will be accepted then there is a necessity that He in His Offering of Himself be made use of If all be under Sin and if by the Law Sin and Death be knit inseperably together as it is said the wages of sin is death and if Freedom from Sin and Wrath and Peace with God be necessary then there is a necessity that Sinners be serious in this matter to get a Title to and Interest in this one Offering and Sacrifice of Christ In the prosecuting of the Use we shall speak a little to these four things 1. To some Grounds or Reasons to shew the Necessity of Sinners use making of Christ's Sacrifice or Offering 2. To this what it is to make use of this Offering 3. We shall give a Word of Advertisement as to some mistakes that are about it 4. We shall give some Differencing Characters or Evidences of a Person that is making right Use of this Offering for obtaining of Pardon and for making of this Peace with God For the First That is the Reasons to evince the necessity of it The 1. of them is that which we hinted at just now If Men were not lying under Sin and obnoxious to Wrath and if there were any other Sin-offering or any other Way or Mean to escape the Curse and Wrath of God due for Sin there were no such necessity But seing that all Men are under Sin and under the Curse of God and His Wrath because of it and seing there is no other thing that can take away Sin then there is an absolute necessity seriously to make use of and to have an Interest in this Sin-offering 2. Consider that the great part of Men in the World and even of them that hears this Gospel do not indeed make use of this Offering though they be some way under the Conviction that they are Sinners and that this is the only Sin offering to take away Sin and we suppose if ye were all put to it ye could not deny but ye are Sinners and that nothing can take away Sin but Christ's Offering up of Himself as a Sacrifice to satisfie Justice Though some be that grosly ignorant that they will speak of some other thing yet generally these that own and maintain the Truth of the Gospel are under a Conviction that no other thing can take away Sin and yet even amongst these there are many that never make use of Christ and of His Sacrifice to take away their Sins to remove Wrath and make their Peace with God There were many Jews who by the dayly Sacrifices which Typed forth this one Offering of Christ were taught that there was no other way to come by Pardon and Peace with God but there use making of it and yet the most part of them in going about these Sacrifices were slighters of this one Sacrifice Therefore the Apostle sayes of them Rom. â—0â— â—3 That being ignorant of Gods righteousness they went about to establish their own righteousness and did not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God It is as certain that many that hear this Gospel and professe Christ to be the only Sin-offering will be disowned of Him on this account Therefore many are brought in saylng Luk. 13. did we not hear thee preach in our streets have we not eaten and drunken in thy presence to whom He will say depart from me I never knew you ye workers of iniquity Because as if He had said what ever ye profesied ye never made Peace with God through